Lifting boom for ladle cranes



June 23, 1953 R; L. WINGENROTH I 2,643,004

, urrmc BOOM FOR LADLE cams Filed Aug. 27, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FlELl-Pa -L. W/Naf/veom June 23, 1953 R. L.'- WINGENROTH ,0

LIFTING BOOM FOR LADLE "CRANES Filed Aug.'27, 1952 2" Sheets -Sheet 2$20M? Adz? Patented June 23, 195 3 LIr'rrNG BOOM FOR LADLE cRANEs Roy L.Wingenroth, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to United States SteelCorporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 27, 1952,Serial No. 306,567

The present invention relates in general to object-handling apparatusand more particularly to a device especially suitable for handling anopen hearth furnace tapping spout by means of a furnace pouring cranehoist.

In current open hearth furnace practice, during tapping of the furnace,the furnace tapping spout, which provides a runway for. the molten metalfrom the tap hole of the furnace to the pouring ladle, is positionedwith one end below the tap hole and its other end resting on the ladlerim. After tapping of the furnace has been completed, it is necessary toremove the tapping spout so that the pouring ladle may be lifted by thepouring crane and carried to a position over the ingot molds at thepouring platform. A jib crane or trolley type monorail crane positionedimmediately adjacent the furnace normally handles the tapping spout.

Due to the severe service conditions in the L immediate vicinity of theopen hearth furnace, the spout-handling cranes are frequently out ofservice for maintenance or repair. In a conventional open hearth pouringfloor. lay-out, the pouring crane is ordinarily installed in such amanner that its hoist trolley is at its extreme end limit of horizontaltravel when the hoist hooks are positioned over the ladle. In thisposition, the hoist hOOks cannot reach the tapping spout to remove it.Thus, prior to my inven-' tion, the pouring crane could not be utilizedto avoid the delay of furnace operations caused by the break-down of thespout handling crane.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide an objecthandling device for adapting a hoist crane to handle objects beyond thelimits of the horizontal travel of its hooks;

It is another object of my invention to provide an object handlingdevice which may be used in conjunction with the hoist hooks of apouring crane to eifect the handling of an open hearth furnace tappingspout.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an adaptor which maybe quickly and easily fitted on the hoist hooks of an open hearthfurnace pouring crane to enable the crane to handle the tapping spout ofthe furnace.

These and other objects will become more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the device of my inventionin operation;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device of my invention;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of Figure 2;

Claims. (Cl. 212-11) spaced from each end thereof.

. 2 Figure 4 is a, side elevation of Figure 3; and Figure 5 is asectional view taken on the line V-V of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

' reference numeral 2 indicates a cantilever boom made up of an I-beamattached to the center of a shaft 4 and a counterbalance slab 6 by meansof a bracket 8. Bracket 8 consists of a pair of spaced plates l0 weldedor otherwise fastened by their ends l2 in parallel relation to themidportion of the face of the steel slab 6. The ends I 2 of the platesare cut at angles so that the upper longitudinal edges I4 of the platesproje'ct from the face of the slab at an angle of approximately '75degrees. The outer ends I6 of the lower longitudinal edges l8 of theplates H] are tapered upwardly toward the upper edges 14. A plate 20 isfastened to and extends over the tapered edges l8 as shown in Figures 3and 4. An elongated plate 22 is fastened to and spans the upper edges M.The lower end of the boom 2 rests on the plate 22 and may be welded orotherwise fastened thereto. The bottom edges l8 are cut out as at 24 tofit'arcund the circum- L ference of the shaft 4 and are welded orotherwise fastened thereto.

End plates 26 are aflixed around the shaft 4 fitted around .each extremeend of the shaft 4 spaced from the end plate 26. A bearing plate 30 iswelded by its end to the outer face of each of the end plates 26 andprojects normal thereto. The bearing plate 30 is reinforced by a pair ofspaced web plates 32 which are also welded to the. outer face of the endplate 26 and extend normal thereto. Another bearing plate 34 reinforcedby spaced, parallel web plates 36 is welded to the outer face of each ofthe end plates 26 above the cut out portion 24 and spaced fromthebearing plate 30. Plate 34 is disposed slight- 1y less than 90degrees from the horizontal plane of bearing plate 30. A gusset plate 38is Welded flatwise to the upper portion of the end of the boom 2 andendwise to the slab 6 for added reinforcement of the connection of theboom to the slab 6.

A pair of spaced plates 40 ma be fastened by means of bolts 42 to theweb of the outer end 44 r of the boom 2, one on each side thereof. The

forward ends 45 of the plates 40, which may be tapered, extend beyondthe end of the boom 2 and are provided with matching holes 48 forreceiving one end of a chain 50. A hook 52 is carried 0n the oppositeend of the chain 50. A pair of cables 54 having eyes 56 at their freeends may A collar 28 is 0 be carried by the hook 52. The eyes 56 areadapted to engage the lift lugs G projecting from either side of thetapping spout.

In operation, the device of my invention is installed on the parallelpair of lift hooks A of a ladle crane B. The portion between the endplate 26 and the collar 28 on each end of the shaft 4 providesatrunnion-like bearing 58 which fits into the curved bearing portion C ofeach of the books A. The end plates 26 and the collars 28 preventlateral displacement of the hooks. When the bearing portions 58 of theshaft 4 are fitted into the bearing portions C of the hook A, thebearing plate 30 abuts the hook end D and bearing plate 34 abuts theinner walls E of the hooks A above the bearing portions C. With thisarrangement,

clockwise motion of boom 2 is restricted, by the plate 34 andcounterclockwise motion by the plate 30. The slab 6 is of sufficientweight to counterbalance the boom 2.

After the device has been fitted on the hooks A,- as described, thecraneB is raised'and moved to the end of its bridge (not shown) adjacentthe tapping spout F which is to. be removed. At this point, the chain 50is suspended above the spout F; with the eyes 56 of the cables 54positioned adjacent the lift lugs G projecting from the sides of thetapping spout F. The eyes 55 are placed on the lugs G and the hooks Aare raised to remove the-spout F from operating position between thefurnace H and the ladle J and transport it to another location on thepouring floor.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described, itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the. scope of the follow.- ing claims.

I claim:

1. In a ladle crane having a pair of spaced lift hooks suspendedtherefrom, each of said hooks having a hook end, an involute cam bearingportion adjacent said hook end, and an inner wall extending from saidinvolute cam bearing portion; the combination therewith of a roundshaft, a collar of enlarged outside diameter on each end of said shaft,an end plate on each end of said shaft spaced from said collar to form atrunnionlike bearing portion on each end of said shaft between said endplate and said collar, said shaft being adapted to be carried by saidhooks with the trunnion-like bearing portion at each end thereof beingfitted in the involute cam bearing portions of said hooks, a horizontalbearing plate mounted on the outer face of each of said end plates abovesaid shaft adapted to abut the hook ends of said hooks when said shaftis supported by said hooks, a substantially vertical bearing platemounted on the outer face of each of said end plates spaced from saidhorizontal bearing plate and above said shaft adapted to abut said innerwalls of said end to said counterbalance, the rearward portion of saidboom being supported by and attached to said bracket, the forward end ofsaid boom projecting beyond said bracket in the direction away from saidhooks when said shaft is supported thereby, and hook means suspendedfrom the forward end of said boom adapted to engage an object to behandled.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 including a first pair ofspaced reinforcement web plates mounted byv their side edges on theouter face of eachof saidend plates with their edges on one endconnected with said horizontal bearing plate, and a second pair ofspaced reinforcement web plates mounted by their side edges on the outerface of each of said. end plates substantially normal. to said firstpair of reinforcement plates, said second pair of reinforcement webplates abutting one of said first pair of reinforcement web plates atone end and said substantially vertical bearing plate at the other end.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 characterized by saidcantilever boom including an I-beam having a center web portion and anupper lower fianged'portion, and said. hook means including a platemember having a forward and rearward end fastened on. each side of saidweb portion by its rearward end, the forward ends, of.

said last named plate. members being tapered and projecting from theforward end of said boom, the projecting ends of said tapered platemembers having matching holes therethrough, a lift chain, fitted at oneend through said matching holes and depending therefrom, and a hook onthe depending end of said chain.

1 ROY L. WINGENROTH.

Noreferences cited.-

